Mirage
by thejazzienerd
Summary: Mew rather liked being known as a myth. It kept people from trying to catch him. But then the combination of a powerful Pokemon with a plan for destruction, an over-eager young Trainer, and an ultimatum forced him to reconsider.
The humans called this place Viridian Forest. Mew had initially scoffed at the name, since "viridian" meant green, and that was an adjective that could be applied to most forests at the right time of year. Then he'd learned it was called that because of its proximity to Viridian City.

That was why he'd begun his search here. He'd heard from Articuno that Team Rocket's leader had once been this city's Gym leader. As one of the region's guardian Legends, part of her job was knowing stuff like that. Although in Mew's opinion, she and her brothers had performed downright dismally at the whole "guardian" thing lately. As far as he was concerned, if they had been more diligent, they would have actually managed to stop Team Rocket, instead of constantly having to run—or rather, fly—from the Rocket agents trying to capture them for their power. A ten-year-old Trainer had done their job for them. A _ten-year-old_!

 _You know things are bad when a child can do something a Legend couldn't,_ he thought.

Now he had to clean up their mess. A very powerful Pokémon, one that could potentially give a Legend a run for his Poké—assuming he had any in the first place—was hiding out somewhere in this region and, if the reports were true, planning to destroy humanity. Mew was not the biggest fan of humans, but they were part of creation and certainly didn't deserve to be wiped out for the sins of a few.

He remembered Arceus' words from earlier that day: _You are the only one who may be able to convince him to stand down. If you cannot, I will be forced to destroy him. I do not want to, but this is a Pokémon who should not exist, who was created through genetic manipulation, and who now intends to unleash a storm that could wipe out all of Kanto. One death would be a small price to pay to save all those lives._

He did not want to see Mewtwo destroyed. As unnatural as Team Rocket's creation was, he was still the closest thing Mew would ever have to a son, cloned directly from his DNA, rather than created using it as a template, as all other non-Legendary Pokémon had been. He still had no idea where Team Rocket had gotten his DNA in the first place, though. He was always careful about not leaving any of his fur behind on bushes and the like.

* * *

Mew didn't initially notice the young Trainer coming down the path toward him. That is, not with his eyes. His Psychic sense was always active and clearly warned him of the danger, but not before the Trainer had seen him.

"Hey, is that…" the boy cried. "No way! That's got to be Mew! Go, Dugtrio."

That was fairly standard, if a bit lacking in the usual formality. By unwritten agreement, any Trainer resourceful enough to track down a Legend was entitled to a battle with that Legend.

"I challenge you!" the boy cried.

That was better as far as formality went, but Mew was in no mood to fight. He rarely was, but right now he couldn't afford to have anything slow him down.

He had plenty of strategies for getting out of an unwanted battle, his favorite being to use Flash to blind the Trainer and then Teleport away. That strategy had left Trainers and scientists alike unsure as to whether or not he really existed, and that was the way he liked it.

But then he remembered why there was no running from a battle with a Dugtrio.

 _My luck is dreadful today,_ he thought. _He sent out his Dugtrio because it's fast, or maybe because it has Toxic. They don't know about Abilities, and they don't know about Dark-type moves or that Dugtrio can use some of them. Yet he sent it out against me anyway._

"Dugtrio, Earthquake."

Mew reached out with his Psychic sense and touched the boy's mind. One thought was front and center: _Stop Mewtwo_.

And that wasn't the only thing Mew saw in this Trainer. There was something else. A pinprick of light, buried deep, but still clearly visible to one who knew what to look for.

 _This kid is Chosen? Arceus' standards have really dropped a ways. Wait a second._ He paused. _This is the kid who just took down Team Rocket, isn't it? Well, I suppose the Birds don't look quite as stupid if the kid's Chosen._

" **Wait,** " Mew said, throwing up a Protect to block the Earthquake.

"What? You're not going anywhere, so don't even try. I don't know why, but you can't run from battle against Dugtrio."

Mew rolled his eyes. " **I assure you that running is the furthest thing from my mind. In fact, it just so happens we are going the same place.** "

"Come again?" the boy asked, scratching his head.

" **You are heading to battle the Pokémon Mewtwo, yes?** "

"How did you know that?"

" **I'm Psychic, moron!** " Mew snapped, falling out of the formal speech pattern in frustration.

"Right. I knew that."

Mew took a deep breath, to calm both his anger and his nerves. " **I would like to propose a partnership, since we have a common goal.** "

"Are you surrendering to me?" the boy asked.

" **Not the word I would have chosen, but I suppose I am.** "

"Aw, man! I kind of wanted a fight."

" **We have little time. Mewtwo will unleash his plan by the end of the day, or so I have been led to believe.** "

"Wait. What plan?"

" **A plan to make all the humans of Kanto pay for his mistreatment at the hands of Team Rocket. To destroy you.** " The boy gasped in shock. **"If you intend to capture me, you must do so now.** "

The boy pulled out a Pokéball. Mew was relieved to see that the top half of it was red, rather than purple. As the boy pulled back his arm and threw the ball, Mew had to will himself not to Teleport away.

The ball struck him, and he felt himself pulled inside. He was surprised. The feeling of being imprisoned that he had expected never came. Instead he felt comfortable and…safe, incredibly. The inside of the ball was cozy, but not cramped. It also wasn't soundproof. He could hear the boy's feet on the dead leaves as he walked to pick up the ball. Mew then felt himself being lifted and heard the voice of the awestruck Trainer saying "Thank you." His Psychic sense was not impeded by the ball at all, and he could easily detect the boy's amazement. As he concentrated harder, he realized he could even see what was going on outside the ball, but in a strange way. The perspective was as it should have been, with the young Trainer looking down at him. But looking at him was like looking at the observation screen in the Hall, like he wasn't really there.

Then Mew realized something he forgot. Something rather important.

" ** _If we're going to be working together, I should probably know your name._** "

"How are you talking to me?" came the reply.

" ** _Telepathy,_** " Mew replied, as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Oh. Anyway, it's Derek, but everyone calls me Red."

* * *

Red clipped Mew's Pokéball to his belt and started walking. From his odd vantage point, Mew watched the forest pass. He was surprised and a little embarrassed when they left the forest.

 _This kid knows where he's going a lot better than I do. Evidently, I made a good call._

Red entered a town, which Mew guessed was Viridian City. He heard the Pokéball beside his unclip from the belt, and the next thing he knew, they were flying.

The sky was dark, the clouds beginning to circle like one of the hurricanes that often struck Hoenn. But this was no typical storm. It had a Psychic residual that clearly indicated that it was not natural. Mew would have thought it one of Lugia's creations, except that it was the wrong season for her hurricanes, as well as being too far north. And that it was forming over land. And that it was a lot bigger than anything she had ever tried to conjure up.

Before long, the Flying-type went into a shallow dive, eventually depositing Red beside a stream.

" ** _Where are we?_** " Mew asked.

"Cerulean Cave. Mewtwo's lair."

" ** _How do you know this is the place?_** "

"I was in Viridian Forest looking for rare Pokémon when I got a call from a friend saying he'd run into a crazy powerful Psychic-type here and gotten his head handed to him."

" ** _Ah. And you didn't immediately take off because…_** "

"Pidgeot can't get through all the branches if I'm on her back. We found that out the hard way."

Mew supposed that made sense. The weight of a passenger would render Pidgeot much slower and less agile than usual.

"You're welcome to let yourself out now that we're here," Red said.

" ** _That's possible?_** "

"My Pokémon do it all the time."

Mew concentrated, and all of a sudden he was outside the ball. He shook his head to clear it.

" **That is really disorienting,** " he commented.

"Sorry," Red said. "My Pokémon never seem to have much of a problem with it."

" **Maybe they're used to it.** "

"Maybe. Let's go. Lapras, use Surf." Red held up a Pokéball.

The Water-type materialized in the stream. Red climbed onto her back.

* * *

Lapras swam through the cave. Mew perched on her head, holding a Flash in one hand and holding on with the other. Red sat on her back, craning to see into the gloom of the cave.

Mew felt it almost immediately, the massive Psychic presence of this Pokémon. He was utterly flabbergasted at the sheer size of it. Not even Lugia had a Psychic imprint like this. Although, Lugia's mind was meticulously organized, the mark of someone who'd had millennia to hone her abilities. Calling Mewtwo's mind cluttered was probably an understatement, and that probably meant that he had no idea what he was truly capable of. A Pokémon that strong needed someone of similar power to teach him, and Mew was more than prepared to guess that Mewtwo had received no such training.

While that would probably prove a good thing if they ended up having to fight him, that could also prove a very bad thing. With his mind in this state, the chances of him losing control of the storm forming outside was quite high, and that would be even more catastrophic than a controlled storm would be.

"So," Red asked. "What's the plan for when we find Mewtwo?"

" **Talk first, battle only if he gives us no choice.** "

"I came to fight, not talk!"

" **I came to talk,** " Mew said. " **That is what I intend to do, and you _will_ follow my lead.**"

"I'm leader of this team. I give the orders." Red pulled out a Pokéball. "Mew, return."

Mew exerted his will and the red beam slid right off his fur. " **You caught me only because I let you.** " He used Psychic, pulling the ball out of Red's hand and into his own. " **In any other situation, I would be content to follow you, but this is one where you could easily get killed if you don't do as I say.** "

"Fine," Red said. "Talk first."

Mew tossed him the Pokéball, which he caught and put away. As Mew turned around to once again face in the direction they were heading, he saw something out of the corner of his eye.

" **We're almost there,** " he said.

"You can tell that Psychically?" Red asked.

" **Actually, I just used my eyes.** " He pointed to the right. " **We need to go that way.** "

"Lapras, turn right," Red said.

Lapras acknowledged the order, but didn't seem all that happy about it.

" ** _It's all right,_** " Mew projected to her. " ** _What's the matter?_** "

" _Don't get me wrong. Red's a great Trainer, but sometimes he can be a real moron. I don't think he realizes that I can understand you perfectly._ "

Mew was barely able to hide his surprise. In his nearly two-and-a-half millennia of existence, he'd never met a non-Legendary Pokémon who didn't insist on calling him "lord" regardless of how many times he reminded them that most Legends weren't actually all that fond of titles.

He agreed with her completely. As skilled as this kid seemed to be, his common sense didn't seem to always be functioning. Of course, he must be more than he appeared or he wouldn't be Chosen.

" ** _He's still young,_** " he said. " ** _Give him time._** "

As Lapras continued swimming forward, Mew gasped. He was no Mesprit, but he could easily detect the hostility emanating outward. He couldn't find the exact source however, and whatever he had seen earlier had vanished.

" **He knows we're here,** " he said. Red nodded. " **What Pokémon did you bring with you?** " He could simply check each Pokéball with his Psychic sense and find out, but he'd neglected to do that initially, and by this point, asking was easier.

"Well, you've seen Lapras, Dugtrio, and Pidgeot. And I've also got Jolteon, Snorlax, and Charizard."

 _Not bad,_ Mew thought. _Good mix of fast and defensive fighters. Good mix of physical and special attackers. Now to see if he knows how to use them._

" **And what, dare I ask, was your strategy going to be?** "

"Well, assuming he's a conventional Psychic-type, I planned on wearing him down with Lapras and Snorlax and then finishing off with Jolteon."

" **Not bad, if a little conventional. I…** " He only just stopped himself from saying "I wish you had a Dark-type."

"You what?" Red asked.

" **Not important,** " he lied.

And then Lapras was pulling herself onto an island.

Red returned her. "You sure this is the right place?" he asked.

" **I'm feeling so much hate. It feels like he should be right next to us, but I don't see anything.** "

" **Oh, I'm right here,** " said a new voice.

"Mewtwo?" Red called, rushing forward.

" **Stop!** " Mew commanded.

" **So my original comes now to stop me,** " Mewtwo said.

" **I came to talk,** " Mew replied.

" **And yet, you bring this _human_ with you.** "

Red suddenly lifted off the ground and dangled in the air. Mewtwo materialized seemingly out of nowhere, holding him Psychically by the throat.

" **Let him go,** " Mew ordered.

Mewtwo threw Red across the room. Mew caught him with a Psychic of his own and lowered him to the ground.

" **I did not come to fight,** " he tried again.

"Okay," Red said. "I think talking has now officially failed. Snorlax, go."

Snorlax popped out of he ball and seemed to be very much asleep.

" **Pathetic,** " Mewtwo snarled.

"Hyper Beam," Red called.

Snorlax sat up just enough to fire a pure white beam at Mewtwo, who dodged it easily before picking up Snorlax with Psychic and throwing him into the water. Red recalled him just as he started to sink.

Mew was barely able to contain his surprise. He was getting surprised a lot on this particular adventure, and he didn't like it. How easy something was to move with Psychic was relative to how easy it would be to move with conventional means. Mewtwo had just picked up and thrown a 1000-pound Pokémon like it weighed nothing. That was some serious mental power. Even he would have some trouble doing that.

" **Send out your next Pokémon,** " Mewtwo snapped.

"Lapras, your turn."

Lapras materialized only slightly in front of Red.

"Use Ice Beam. Freeze the ground."

Lapras fired a pale blue beam from her mouth, directing it back and forth to hit as much of the island as possible.

" **I can levitate, you fool** ," Mewtwo cried, proceeding to do exactly that.

Red clambered onto Lapras' back. "Surf," he said.

The river in the cave burst its banks, rising in an enormous wave to swamp the island and knocking Mewtwo to the ground.

"Ice Beam again."

This time, Lapras froze the water. Mewtwo, still clambering to his feet, was promptly frozen up to his waist.

" **Not bad,** " Mew commented. " **Do you always battle like this?** "

"You don't beat the Viridian City Gym by being conventional."

The ice suddenly shattered.

"Oh crap," Red said.

" **Fool!** " Mewtwo screamed. " **I am the world's strongest Pokémon. I will not be defeated by your childish strategies.** "

He rose to his feet and then, before he could levitate, promptly slipped on the first layer of ice, which was still very much intact.

Red laughed.

Mewtwo snapped off a couple of jagged shards of ice and hurled them at Red. The boy didn't notice. He was still sitting on Lapras' back laughing.

Mew acted. He Teleported, charging a Flamethrower before he even materialized. He released the move as he appeared in front of Red and Lapras **,** melting the shards.

" **You will not shoot to kill so long as I am here,** " he said, staring down his clone.

" **When I win this fight, I intend to kill both of you,** " Mewtwo countered.

" **It remains to be seen whether or not you will win.** " He used Flamethrower again, spinning in a circle to get as much of the ice as possible.

Mewtwo used Psychic, picking up both Lapras and Red and flinging them at the cave wall. Mew managed to catch Red, but missed Lapras, who slammed into the stone. She was out cold before she hit the floor.

Red reached for another Pokéball, no doubt going for Jolteon as he had planned.

Mew got an idea. _So much for the rules,_ he thought. " ** _Use Dugtrio,_** " he projected to Red.

Luckily for them both, the boy didn't question it. He grabbed a different ball from the one he was originally going for and threw it, sending Dugtrio into the battle.

"Now what?"

" **Tell him to use Sucker Punch.** " Mew glanced at Mewtwo, who gave no sign of having recognized the name of the move. _He really has no idea,_ Mew thought.

"That's not a move," Red said.

" **Even Professor Oak doesn't know everything about Pokémon.** "

"Okay, I guess. Dugtrio, Sucker Punch."

Mew promptly used Helping Hand. Dugtrio dove underground, popping up directly underneath Mewtwo right as he was charging another Psychic. The Psychic-type was knocked flying.

"What was that?" Red asked.

" **A Dark-type move,** " Mew said.

"There's no such thing."

" **What did I just get done telling you? Dark is especially effective against Psychic and is immune to it. Unfortunately, there aren't any Dark-types native to Kanto.** "

"Well, how does no one in any of the other regions know about this?"

" **Figuring out a Pokémon's Type is hard. It takes…** " Mew broke off as he saw Mewtwo get back up.

" **So, you resort to trickery now, do you?** " Mewtwo asked. " **That will be your final mistake.** "

" **No,** " Mew said.

" **What?** "

" **I do not enjoy fighting, verbally or otherwise. But you have broken two of the cardinal rules of battling by targeting the Trainer and by shooting to kill. I warned you once, yet you persist. And so I have no choice. For the rest of this battle, you face me.** "

" **Very well. I have always wanted to test myself…** "

Mewtwo fired a blast of Psychic energy before he was done speaking, no doubt trying to catch him off guard. But Mew was nearly two-and-a-half millennia old, and just because he didn't like to battle didn't mean he couldn't. He resorted to his time-honored strategy and Teleported out of the way.

He originally intended to reappear a couple of feet to the left, but then he got an idea. He quickly rerouted his Teleport to a point directly behind and slightly above Mewtwo.

As he reappeared, he intentionally brushed his tail across the other Psychic-type's shoulders. Mewtwo turned around…

…and promptly got a face full of Dark Pulse, which knocked him toward Red. The moment he regained his footing, Mew followed up with a Shadow Ball. This time, Mewtwo didn't get up.

" **You may have the strength of a Legendary, but not the skill of one,** " Mew said to the defeated clone.

" **How could I lose? I am…** "

"The world's strongest Pokémon?" Red asked. "Did Giovanni tell you that?"

" **Yes.** "

"Well, of course he _would_ say that. I've met him, and he never understood that strength is about more than raw power."

" **Legends train all the time,** " Mew said. " **Honing our moves, learning new ones. I wasn't born knowing Dark Pulse any more than a Diglett is born knowing Earthquake.** "

A roll of thunder sounded outside.

" **You're too late,** " Mewtwo said.

Mew's front paws glowed purple as he prepared another Shadow Ball. " **Stop the storm, Mewtwo,** " he said.

" **I can't.** "

"What do we do?" Red asked, sounding on the verge of panic.

 _I can always try it myself,_ Mew thought.

He cast his mind around, reaching outside the cave. The sky was as dark as he'd ever seen it, wholly blocking out the sun and making it look like nighttime even though he knew it was only mid-afternoon. The storm was not centered on Mewtwo's cave, but rather the clouds were spinning around an eye located directly over what may have been Viridian City.

He reached out, concentrating on the eye. _Stop,_ he willed it. _Stop, stop, stop._

Nothing changed. He switched tactics, looking for a principal current of either air or Psychic energy. He found something else instead. The mind of another Legendary.

" ** _Rayquaza?_** " he asked.

" ** _Mew?_** " came the telepathic reply. " ** _What the crap is going on in Kanto?_** "

Of course, she would have come. She could never ignore humans in danger, and the sky was her domain, after all. She would have had double the reason to come investigate, especially considering how completely _wrong_ this storm was.

" ** _Long story. I'll explain later. How am I supposed to stop this?_** "

" ** _By letting me do it,_** " she said. " ** _Messing with weather patterns is kind of my thing._** "

" ** _Fine. Just hurry._** "

He watched via his Psychic sense as the green dragon flew straight into the eye. Seconds later, the storm began to break up. The sky grew calm, and the sun even started to poke through the clouds.

He relaxed, and his consciousness snapped back to his body.

"Did you do it?"

" **Technically speaking,** " Mew said. " **I'll explain once we're done here."**

" **How? How did you stop it?** " Mewtwo asked, getting back to his feet.

" **That is the power of a Legend, when properly applied.** "

" **Teach me.** "

For the third time that day, Mew found himself barely able to contain his surprise. _You want me to teach you_ , he thought, _when you were threatening to kill me just a few minutes ago?_

" **I have…other obligations,** " he said, looking at Red. " **Besides, if you want to really hone your power, I am likely not the best person to teach you.** "

" **Then who is?** "

" **Head south, to the Whirl Islands off the coast of Johto. She will find you.** "

* * *

Getting out of the cave proved slightly problematic, considering Lapras was still unconscious, and because his decision to challenge Mewtwo had been fairly spur-of-the-moment, Red didn't have the item to fix that. Mew decided to simply Teleport them both to the mouth of the cave, somewhat against his better judgment. Sure enough, when they popped out at the other end, he was absolutely exhausted. He filed that away for later: Teleporting with a passenger takes _a lot_ of energy.

Even the clouds were now breaking up, the sun coming through. There was no sign of the storm that had been raging just a few minutes ago. Mew sincerely hoped that Mewtwo would take his advice and go find Lugia. If anyone could help him hone his powers, she could. If it came to that, she could also instruct him in storm creation.

" **So what happens now?** " he asked Red.

Red pulled out a Pokéball. "I'm letting you go," he said after a second's contemplation. "It just doesn't feel right keeping a Legend in one of these."

Mew thought for a couple seconds. This kid was so strange. He seemed reckless, for sure, but he was also a good Trainer who understood his Pokémon's capabilities, or at least he did as well as anyone could in an era when no one even knew how many types there were. He definitely lacked a bit of common sense, and keeping him out of trouble would be a full-time job, but Mew didn't have anything else demanding his time. And on top of that, he wasn't particularly excited to hear the lecture about breaking the rules regarding interference in mortal affairs that he was likely to get the next time he showed up at the Hall of Origin. The more excuses he could come up with for not going back, the better.

Most importantly, the kid was humble.

Arceus had once said that the only Trainers worthy of catching Legends were those who didn't want to. This kid was one of those, it seemed. He challenged strong opponents because he wanted a challenge, or because he enjoyed battling for its own sake. He wasn't interested in the power of a Legendary Pokémon.

But being a caught Pokémon had its advantages, even for Legends. If Mew let Red carry around a Pokéball keyed to his particular energy signature, then with any luck the word would get around and he wouldn't have to worry about Trainers trying to catch him. Or if it didn't, that was okay too. He'd be essentially impervious to Pokéballs either way.

He tugged the ball away with a Psychic. " **No,** " he said. " **This partnership ends when I decide. Not before.** "

Red looked down at the ball. "It just feels like I'm…keeping you prisoner, or…something."

" **Well, it doesn't feel that way on this end. Just because you have a ball keyed to me doesn't mean I have to stay in it. I'll pop in and out. If you need me, you'll see me. Or hear me, as the case may be.** "

"Thanks, but…"

" **You don't think you're worthy.** "

"No," Red agreed.

" **That's how I know you are.** "

* * *

 **AN: This is the first of several short stories that are basically character sketches focusing on the various Legends that appear or will appear in my story Pokemon: Uprising. If this is the first of my Pokemon stories you've read, you may be a bit confused. Well, I'm not giving any explanations here.**

 **The use of bold and italic text is explained in the author's note of the 1st or 2nd chapter of Uprising, as well as on my profile. The concept of Chosen is explained in the 7th or 8th chapter of Uprising. History and lore relevant to the story is on my deviantArt. Also, you get to see my head canon regarding how Pokeballs work.**

 **Regarding the timeline for this particular story, it takes place after Red's defeat of Giovanni and the disbandment of Team Rocket, but before the Indigo League Tournament. Also, Red's real name is entirely my own idea. Because, seriously, who names their kid Red?**

 **Ah, Mewtwo. I drew on how this encounter went in both the game and the movie and tried to combine the two. I envisioned Mewtwo as a Pokemon with a lot of power and not a trace of finesse. He's insanely arrogant. Also, Psychic is basically his only move, in case anyone was wondering. It's the only one he's ever needed, until now.**

 **One idea you see a lot in places, like the Bible and the Constitution, is that a good leader serves his people, rather than being served by them. I drew on this idea with regard to Legendary Pokemon. When they come into the human world, it's as protectors, guardians, and occasionally givers of advice, but never as rulers. Which is why they mostly dislike being called "lord" or "lady," although they usually indulge those who insist on doing it.**

 **Also, Legends have a fair number of rules they're expected to live by. The most important ones are explained in the background information that's on my deviantArt. When Mew tells Red about Dark-types, he's definitely breaking the rules. See, I like to think that the various "additions" to later Pokemon games in the form of additional Types, item, etc., as well as the discovery of Natures and Abilities, represent major jumps in scientific knowledge in the Pokemon world that took several decades to occur. However, the first two generations of games occur only a few years apart. So I decided that the advancements made between those games happened so quickly because a Legend...uh...spilled the beans.**

 **Lastly, sorry about that deus ex machina at the end. I don't really mind them myself, and since Legends are kind of the gods of the Pokemon world I figured of course there's going to be some divine intervention in a story like this. I kind of wrote myself into a corner when I decided that stopping a storm like this was beyond Mew's capabilities, and that Mewtwo was too exhausted to do it, if he even knew how. On the other hand, it's right in Ray's wheelhouse.**


End file.
